1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a depth estimation data generating apparatus, depth estimation data generating method, and depth estimation data generating program, and a pseudo three-dimensional (3D) image generating apparatus, pseudo 3D image generating method, and pseudo 3D image generating program, and more particularly, to a depth estimation data generating apparatus, depth estimation data generating method, and depth estimation data generating program, which generate depth estimation data from an image (non-3D image) to which depth information is neither explicitly included nor implicitly included like a stereo image, and an pseudo 3D image generating apparatus, pseudo 3D image generating method, and pseudo 3D image generating program, which perform a process on the non-3D image based on the depth estimation data to generate and output a non-3D image having a different viewpoint for a 3D effect.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to view a non-three-dimensional (3D) image in pseudo stereovision, a 3D display system generates a pseudo 3D image from general still images or a plurality of continuous images in time series forming a moving image, i.e., from an image (non-3D image) to which depth information for a 3D effect is neither included explicitly nor included implicitly like a stereo image.
An example of such a technology includes a pseudo 3D image generating device disclosed in Patent Document 1. In order to determine a scene structure close to reality as much as possible, the pseudo 3D image generating device of Patent Document 1 determines a composition ratio according to high frequency component estimation values of a non-3D image input from an upper screen high frequency component estimation unit and a lower screen high frequency component estimation unit, by using images of a plurality of types of basic depth models indicating depth values respectively for a plurality basic types of scene structures, and the images of the plurality of types of basic depth models are composed according to the composition ratio. Then, the composed images of the basic depth models and a red signal (R signal), of the non-3D image are superimposed to generate final depth estimation data. Also, by processing an image signal of the non-3D image based on the depth estimation data, an image signal of a different viewpoint image for a 3D effect is generated.
The pseudo 3D image generating device of Patent Document 1 generates the final depth estimation data by composing the images of the plurality of types of basic depth models according to the composition ratio determined according to the high frequency component evaluation values of the input non-3D image, and superimposing the R signal of the input non-3D image on the composed images of the basic depth models, as object information constituting information about concavity and convexity. Also, Patent Document 1 discloses that a blue signal (B signal) or a signal using both the R signal and B signal of the non-3D image may be used as the object information superimposed on the composed images of the basic depth model.
However, in the pseudo 3D image generating device of Patent Document 1, the images of the basic depth models are selected by analyzing a scene structure of the non-3D image. In this regard, the object information does not reflect a scene analysis of the non-3D image in any case of using the R signal, the B signal, or both the R and B signals. Also, since the pseudo 3D image generating device of Patent Document 1 simply adds the object information to the selected images of the basic depth model, a sense of separation between a background 121 and an object (such as a person) 122 is low, as shown in FIG. 12A.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-151534